The Need for Speed ( speeding bullets)

[pressman]

I have a some questions for all of the wildcat shooters. Is the main advantage for super speed is to have better wind deflection? I guess my question is more that the big advantage for super velocity is less wind deflection instead of less bullet drop.
I mean we have some great range finders on the market today. and once we know the range we all dial for any range and knowing the current elements we will be very close on our elevation. ( velocity not really a factor here) But the wind? that is the element that drives me crazy. in a good way. I am fairly new to long range shooting at least compared to most on here. i have a custom built Remington 260 and it shoots the Berger 140 vlds outstanding. i have shot 10 shot string posting a 7" group at 1,000 yards. and i have made cold bore shot out to 1,000 yards. However it is not a barrel burner. 2720 fps. I do have a building bug attacking me and really wanting a 338 for some reason. but just really can see the need to build a round that will only get 2500 rounds down the barrel before i get to re-barrel it?? again keep in mind i am just getting started not real smart yet. so please understand i might make a very dumb comment here. i mean i love the thought of a 338 edge or a Kirby allen magnum, or the 338 Norma. Do you build the wild cats so you get better wind deflection and not so much less bullet drop?? i feel i am a good trigger puller i can range the elevation and dial it . and if someone will tell me the correct wind drift i can dial it also. to me the ultimate question always comes down to wind drift. Would love to here some comments.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Wind is part of it but also the retained energy and velocity plus the lack of drop helps. Most bullets recommend 1800+fps for expansion. So the faster you push it the further they will reliably expand.

 

[SBruce]

+1,

If we assume a 300 grn Sierra HP out of a 338 Win Mag going 2500'/sec, it's effective distance is 800 yds (keeping the velocity above 1800'/sec at my altitude)

Where the 338 Allen Express is shooting the same bullet at nearly 3000'sec, it's still going 1800 all the way out to 1300 yds.

Another reason I personally like wildcats and 3300'/sec or faster is for the close-medium range shots. I am not a "long distance only" shooter. I don't shoot alot of big magnums, but do shoot alot of 22 and 6mm centerfires.

I like a fast bullet and about a 250 yd sight in, so that anything under 300-350 yds is simply "point and shoot". Sure, when they are out there at 400 yds and further we still have to range the target and take steps to elevate the poi, but inside 350 it's not necessary at all when we're shooting fast bullets. In contrast, my 45-70 shooting about 1900'/sec is only good to 175 yds without knowing the exact distance and compensating for it.

For most normal hunting, inside 300 yds the animals are not as likely to give us time to use a rangefinder and dial the knobs. Especially coyotes, which is what I hunt the most. Coyotes have a small vital zone and we need to keep the bullet within about 2" of point of aim to hold center mass and make a clean kill. It's important to me to be able to do that out to 300 yds when calling them in.

There's 3 reasons, counting less wind drift, that work for me and justify the extra velocity or wildcat cartridges.

 

[pressman]

s Bruce
I too hunt coyotes but in Indiana where it is tough to spot one over 300 yards,i sometimes and most it is around a 100. I see you stated you use a 6mm
i have an older 243 has not seen much action in a while and it not an expensive gun, but it is a Winchester so i have decided to see if i could make it a coyote gun. i was thinking that maybe if i could get it to shoot 60 or 65 grain bullets pretty hot and like you said sight it in dead zero 150 or so yards that it would work well? any thoughts.

 

[SBruce]

s Bruce
I too hunt coyotes but in Indiana where it is tough to spot one over 300 yards,i sometimes and most it is around a 100. I see you stated you use a 6mm
i have an older 243 has not seen much action in a while and it not an expensive gun, but it is a Winchester so i have decided to see if i could make it a coyote gun. i was thinking that maybe if i could get it to shoot 60 or 65 grain bullets pretty hot and like you said sight it in dead zero 150 or so yards that it would work well? any thoughts.

If your shots are usually under 200 yds, a 100-150 yd zero is fine, but really you could zero at 200 and still be hitting within 1" or so of your crosshair at 100 and only about 2" below your crosshair at 250.

I think you'd be able to get about 3600' sec with a 65 grn bullet, and I assumed your elevation at around 2000'. I Also assumed 1.5" scope height, and that is how I came up with those numbers based on the ballistic program.

I shoot 70 grn or heavier bullets myself, but 300 yds shots arent really all that uncommon here, and some days we have pretty high winds.

 

[pressman]

Elevation here is 750 feet. and a really a 15 mile per hour wind is a windy day. i have done any load development. for the 243 really. not like i have for the 260 or my 270. but it is on the top of the list now. so here in the next few weeks i will be totally dedicated to see if i can come up with a combo that works. i think my scope height is more like 2.25 i have an IOR 4 X 14 X 50 mounted on it.

 

[SBruce]

I punched in the corrected elevation and used a 2 1/4" scope height, and it didn't change much. Still never higher than 1" and about 2" low at 250 with a 200 yd sight in..........assuming you get 3600'/sec.

 

[sp6x6]

Bullet design and BC have alot to do with the wind drift. It is not just speed. My 257 WBY w/ 87 gr shot at 3500 velocity has 100'' of windage @ 1000/ 10 mph. My Norma 338 launched 300 @ 2725 velocity has 40'' of windage@1000/10mph.